How to stay productive at home during the lockdown

As the lockdown continues, staying positive, motivated and productive is more challenging than ever for hair and beauty professionals stuck at home. 

To help professionals stay positive during this difficult time, here are a few top tips on how you can use your time to stay productive and successful: looking after your business, customers and yourself, all from your own home.

Now is the time to tackle those items on your to-do list that you never seem to have time for. And if one of the things that you've been meaning to do is vamp up – or ramp up – your salon social media channels, this is the ideal opportunity. After all, with clients spending more time on the internet than ever before, social media is a key way to stay in touch.

Start simple: check the pictures and bios of all your channels are up-to-date, and then plot out ideas for posts you could upload in the coming weeks to keep your feeds fresh. Fill your social media channels – such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest – with inspiring pictures and videos to engage your customers, whether beautiful looks you've created, impressive salon interiors, or helpful tutorials.

As well as providing a healthy dose of escapism, you have an opportunity to let your creativity shine, reminding your clients about your business and why they should come back as soon as the doors are open again.

Trade shows are often a great way for professionals to grow their network but until these get up and running again, you can also use social media to find and connect with other like-minded hair and beauty professionals. 

Spend time looking through Instagram to find people who inspire you and then use this time to engage with them. You never know who you might “meet”, and a chat on social channels could turn into a lucrative long-term business partnership. 

It's also worth looking out for local Facebook groups and chatting to people and businesses in your neighbourhood, who could be powerful partners, friends or clients in the future.

Get down to business

Life as we know it has changed. That means, for now at least, your business needs to change as well. If you haven't already, spend time thinking about how you can adapt what you do to suit these new circumstances. Could you offer more online consultations? Or should you get creative with how you find and secure new clients?

It's also worth taking a moment to plan ahead for when you can reopen your salon or freelance business. As part of this, spend time thinking of the promotions you can run that your customers will love. After weeks in lockdown, chances are they'll be wanting to book in for everything!

Finally, although it's important to continue to think of your customers during these strange times, you should also set aside time to look after yourself and prioritise your mental health, whether that's by dedicating time to learning and honing skills, doing physical exercise, socialising or simply relaxing. 

Learning or practicing hair and beauty skills while you're at home is a fantastic way to be creative, feel fulfilled and boost your confidence. There are loads of courses and videos to watch online and if you're trying something new, look out for starter packs to introduce you to a new product range. If you're at home with family, why not get them involved as guinea-pig clients – or get yourself a mannequin training head if you're looking to hone your hair styling techniques. 

Remember, while it can be great to feel productive, don't put pressure on yourself to complete a big to do list every day. Make time for self-care, especially when you're feeling anxious, and don't forget to keep in contact with friends, family and colleagues. Social contact outside of social media is incredibly important – now more than ever.

It may seem like a long road ahead, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and by keeping busy, focussed and remembering to look after ourselves, we'll be ready to face the brave new world on the other side.

Hair and beauty professionals can access industry insights, trends and top tips on Beauty Talk, the Salon Services blog.